John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

This Bill is unnecessary in that it is proposed that the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board shall be dissolved on the establishment day. That is regrettable because the fund has been used to do excellent work. To date, its use has been effective. The dormant accounts fund board makes all the decisions on where the money is allocated and those decisions are passively, so to speak, signed off by the Minster, Deputy Ó Cuív. Under the new legislation, the Government will take such decisions collectively and then the Minister will approve them. I cannot see how this will operate effectively. Every Minister will arrive with pet projects in the hope of securing collective approval. It will lead to tensions and is unlikely to be as efficient as the present system.

The current system is effective. After the establishment by the Committee of Public Accounts, the person who was the chairperson of the board the previous day must give evidence to the committee on any matter related to the functions of the board that arose during his term of office. The Comptroller and Auditor General is also required to carry out a detailed audit of the procedures of the board.

I am critical of banks because they made little or no effort in the past to make people aware of the huge amounts held in deposit accounts. It was only following the DIRT inquiry that it became evident that the banks held substantial amounts, a fact that had to be dragged out of them.

Equally, I am concerned about bank drafts that have not been cashed. The Government should look at this area because millions of euro in uncashed bank drafts that have expired are being held in deposit accounts. I raised this with IFSRA but did not receive a satisfactory answer. A person might have bought a bank draft ten years ago but did not cash it and it has since expired. The banks have been less than forthright on this matter and the Minister of State should pursue this. Millions of euro remain on deposit because next of kin were not notified when the person got ill or died. IFSRA and the Government should ask what has happened to uncashed bank drafts for the past ten years.

It is important that this fund be efficient and effective. The former Minister for Finance stated that the board should be independent so I am astonished that it is necessary to introduce legislation to alter something that worked. It was argued that it would be more efficient but looking at the track record of financial institutions to date that is not necessarily the case.

I am disappointed that the fund is not ring-fenced. Each county should receive allocations in proportion to the amount it contributed. It might be difficult but the banks failed in their duty to make people aware. They did not undertake local campaigns in the past ten years to inform people of bank accounts. The information was concealed in the same way the banks facilitated and accommodated off-shore accounts and they got away very lightly with that while their clients had to pay quadruple the penalties to the Revenue Commissioners.

The Taoiseach opened the National Field Study Centre at Castlebaldwin prior to the last election but it closed again a few hours after his departure and has remained closed since. Funding for the centre from the county enterprise board, the European Fund for Peace and Reconciliation and the State amounted to €1.5 million. It is a major scandal —€1.5 million of taxpayers' money was invested. The Minister of State will see this fantastic location when he comes to Sligo, beside the Carrowkeel megalithic tombs. It was intended that a field study would be opened up in the centre but the contract fell. Then it was agreed that the National Parks and Wildlife Service would be decentralised to it. That has almost been achieved but funding from the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is still pending. This centre is in excess of 12,000 square feet. It is fabulous, but it is a terrible waste that the centre cannot be opened because a creditor is owed money.

Everyone is prepared to agree a settlement but the Minister has dragged his feet on this. I met the Minister in the past two and a half years, he made promises, failed to deliver and the centre is still closed. The dormant accounts fund, however, offers an opportunity to rectify the situation. All that is needed from the State to open the centre is €200,000. If the Minister of State could bear this case in mind when considering cases worthy of support, it will create employment, €1.5 million has already been spent and the National Parks and Wildlife Service has agreed to open a regional office in the area.

The concept behind the dormant accounts fund is worthwhile but its independence and transparency are equally important so that it cannot be used as a political instrument. The Committee of Public Accounts must ensure the established criteria for drawing down funds are followed and that the fund will be independently audited. Over the years, Ministers have exploited the national lottery. Looking at the funding and its disbursement, it has been predominantly in the location of the line Minister of the time.

We are fortunate that the voluntary sector is so effective. It is important to tap into the commitment and time given by people who work in partnership with communities to deliver an effective service. The dormant accounts fund is the fruit of the toils of many people. For unknown reasons the existence of that fund was concealed by the financial institutions for many years. That is regrettable. However, it is important that the money is now spent where it originated. One project that clearly merits consideration at the moment is the National Field Study Centre at Castlebaldwin. That centre must be opened. I call on the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, to allocate the necessary €200,000 to allow the centre to be opened.

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